Peaceful Living

On this blog I write a great deal about being counterculture. I encourage us to be willing to lose everything for Christ. Don’t get me wrong, I think difficult times are coming for us, but we also have to remember, not all saints were martyrs. Not all saints were tortured or exiled. Some, like Saint Hierotheos the Bishop of Athens celebrated today, died in peace.

It is possible to live our lives in peace with each other and the world without betraying our faith. It is possible that we can go to work, pray for our enemies, and attend Divine Liturgy regularly without making enemies of our friends. It might not be easy, but it is possible.

If we accept that others will mock us as Christians, we are the ones ‘in charge’ of the peace. We don’t always have to engage in the fight. Sometimes, maybe more often than we would like to accept, it isn’t our responsibility to get involved in whether someone should or shouldn’t live a certain way.

If we know that others are lying about us ‘behind our back,’ it isn’t we who are made the fool. Our smiling and treating others with respect even in the midst of slander might not be easy, but it is possible. We don’t always have to engage. In fact, not engaging sends a more Christian message.

Saint Hierotheos was evangelized by Saint Paul at a time when many Christians were targets of persecution. He lived peacefully and faithfully in a world that didn’t favor Christians. His successor, Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, was martyred. They both served the same city. That doesn’t make one holier than another. It does, however, show that we can live without becoming targets of hate.

Truth be told we don’t know how the world will respond to us when we strive to live as Christ. He was killed, but not everyone hated Him. Some will hate us; others will follow us. We are not all called to ‘join the front lines’ of the battle. Some of us are called to live faithful lives ‘behind the front.’

We are all called to live at peace with others, (See Romans 12.18) so much as is in our power. It isn’t our job to start the battle. If someone want to attack, as Christians we will be ready to endure, but we should never be on the offensive.

Living peacefully with others ultimately is a matter of free will. If peace is what we want, and it should be, then we must strive to embrace the free will of others. Try it out today. Try honoring the free will of everyone you encounter today.

Remember, you are not called to correct everyone in the world. You are only called to correct yourself. That will go a long way toward peaceful living in a world that just wants to be left alone. You don’t have to betray Christ. In fact, honoring free will in others honors Christ. It won’t do you any harm to allow someone to ‘cut in line’ or have their ideas the focus of that business meeting. It might be easy, but it is possible.